Torch.



J. EDMANDS.

TORCH.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.23, 1910.

1,059,959, Patnted Apr. 22, 1913.

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J. W. EDMANDS.

TORCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1910.

Patented A r. 22, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WILEY EDMANDS, 0E NEWTON CENTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 LOUIS S. ROSS, 0F NEWTONVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TORCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

Application filed March 28, 1910. Serial No. 551,837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WVI EY Eo- MANDS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newton Center, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Torches, of which the following description, n connection with the accompanying drawlngs, 1s a specification, like letters on the drawlngs representing like parts.

My invention relates to torches such as are used upon railroads and ships for slgnaling at night and aims to provide an improved means for igniting the same.

Of the drawings illustratlng one form of my inventionselected for disclosure and description herein, Figure 1 is an elevatlon of the torch with the cover omitted, an intermediate portion of the torch being broken out for convenience, and the upper end thereof being shown in Vertical section, disclosing clearly the priming means; 2 is a top or plan View of'the same; Fig. 3 a horizontal section on the line 3-3 'of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 an elevation of the cover partly 'assembled; Fig. 5 a similar view of the cover assembled, a part of the wrapper being broken out; Fig. 6 a similar view showing the cover secured in position upon the body of the torch, a portion of the cover and torch being broken out for clearness; Fig. 7 an elevation of the torch complete with its cover, a portion of the body of the torch being broken out for convenience; Fig. 8 a modified form of cover construction, showing the method of exposing the igniting means for use; Fig. 9 a partial, vertical sectional view of a modified form of priming construction for the torch; Fig. 10, a top or plan view of the same; and Fig. 11 a horizontal section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9.

-Referring first to Fig. 1, the torch proper comprises a hollow, preferably cylindrical body 1, of any suitable material, as paper, containing an inflammable material 2, of any suita 1 art adapted to produce a light of the color or colors desired. The body 1 is provided at its lower end with a suitable plug 3, herein of wood, provided in turn with a spike 4 by means of which the torch may be positioned upright when desired. The wall of the body 1 is crimped inwardly at the upper end thereof, Flg. 1, forming a closure 5 for said end, leaving therein only a small e composition well known in the opening 6 to receive the priming means. After the body has been filled with the inflammable material from the lower end thereof and the plug 3 inserted therein, a small hole 7, of suitable size, is drilled in the upper end of the filling, through said opening 6 and in said hole is poured a small quantity of any usual highly inflammable priming mixture 8. A short piece of flexible material, preferably Manila cord, 9, of convenient size and, herein, of a length a little more than twice the depth of the hole 7, is then inserted therein by any convenient means in such manner that the two ends 10 of the cord 9 extend somewhat above the crimped end 5 of the body and form a core or anchoring cord 9 for the priming 8. An additional small quantity of the priming material is then poured over and to conceal the ends 10' of the cord 9, filling thereby the priming hardens and forms, herein see Fig. 1, a substantially cone-shaped priming head 11, anchored to the cord 9. A thin film of the mixture 8 surrounds the cord or core 9 in the hole 7 and adheres thereto the whole forming a very satisfactory priming means for and in contact with the signal material 2.

The described construction of priming means is preferable to the use of a quantity of the priming 8 inserted in the hole 7 unaccompanied by the anchoring cord 9, inasmuch as the priming head, if used in the latter manner, is likely, when ignited, to generate sufficient gas to blow itself oil and hole 7, if not previously filled, and this out of the hole 7 before igniting the torch.

too hard, or with even a moderate, laterally directed blow, the priming head His apt to chip ofl, as-doest-he head of a safety match oftentimes, wlthout igniting the material 2, thus rendering the torch useless. Moreover,

the use of a bent core member possesses an- 9 other advantage over the use of the peg or similar member in that it provides a thin film of priming of greater area, extending as it does about both ends of the core th'an can be obtained by a similar film about the .110

four sides of a peg member, thus minimizing the danger of formation of gas at the time of ignition with its resulting danger of blowing out of the fuse or priming.

The cover, see Figs. 4, 5 and 6, comprises herein a shorter, preferably cylindrical member 12, adapted to fit closely over the end of the torch tube 1, and provided at its upper end with a, herein wooden, plug or end member 13, coated with a complementary primin or igniting material 14, adapted when brought into contact with the priming 8, to .cause the latter to ignite, similar to the manner in which certain safety matches may be ignited, by striking them against a complementary igniting material on the outside of the box. Said complementary priming may be composed of any of the ingredients well known in the art as suitable for that purpose. It is common, at the present time,

. to use as a'cap or cover for said priming 14 a paste-board disk, piece of tape or other similar member, positioned over the priming 14, oreven to rely entirely upon a paper wrapper for the cover, the same being folded down upon said priming, but I have found that such means are insufficient to properly protect the priming. In order to fully protect said priming or ignitingmeans, not only from premature ignition during the assembling thereof but, also, after assembling, from the same and other dangers, I have shown the cover provided with asub stantially long, cylindrical cap member 15, herein of wood. This cap 15 is long enough, also, to serve conveniently as a handle member, if desired, in a modified form of construction, to be referred to.

It is desirable that the two parts 13 and 15 be so secured that theymay be easily and quickly separated, to expose the igniting means 14. As a convenient means for detachably securing said members 13 and 15, I have shown them, Figs. 5, 6, as provided with a strip of tape or other suitable material 16, secured by any convenient means, as cement, over the adjoining edges of the members 13 and- 15, thereby covering and protecting the priming 14. After the said members have been secured as described, I may further secure and protect said mem bers and the complementary priming 14 by a wrapper 17 of paper or other proper material, which may be rolled about or otherwise applied thereto and, if desired, folded down upon, and even cemented to, the top of the cap 15, permitting the loose end of said tape 16 to protrude at some convenient point, as where the two edges of the wrapper meet or overlap, Figs. 5 and 6. After the cover is assembled as described, and positioned upon the upper end of the torch, Figs. 5 and 6, it is preferably secured thereon' by a second wrapper or band 18, of suitable material rolled about the lower portion of said cover and overlapping the end of the torch, and secured to both cover and torch as by cementing, Figs. 6 and 7 The joint between the two members 13 and 15, between which members is thepriming14, and the joint between the cover and torch, having been secured by the wrapper referred to, may be water-proo-fed by applying thereto a thin coating of paraflin or other suitable material.

When one wishes to light the torch he seizes the loose end of the tape 16' and draws it around the cover, thus breaking the joint between the end 13 and cap 15 and the cap 15 will be, at the same time, and by the same act, detached from the end 13, and the igniting means 14 will be exposed for use.

He then breaks the joint betwen the cover and torch, see dotted lines Fig. 6, by twisting one slightly, relative to the other, and the cover may be easily removed. The torch is then lighted by bringing the igniting means '14 into frictional contact with the priminghead 11.

By the above described means the end member 13 and cap 15 may be secured in such manner that they may be easily and quickly detached under any conditions.

If preferred the securing tape 16 may be carried only partially around the end and cap members 18 and 15, removing therewith, when removed, only a part of the wrapper about the joint.

It is important that the handle-cap be removable from the cover laterally instead of by an endwise pull, as, if the priming be damp, as is frequently the case, an endwise pull upon the handle-cap is very apt to remove the priming, thus rendering the fusee useless. I I

In Fig. 8, a modified form of igniting member is shown where the end 13 and cap 15 are secured by the cementing of the wrapper 17 thereabout the tape l6 being omitted. In this case the member 15 is detached by simply breaking the joint'as by oppositely bending the members 13 and 15 whenthe wrapper 17 will separate at the joint, as shown. This construction obviates the danger of the tape 16 becoming accidentally loosened, as by contactwith other objects, thereby breaking the jolnt and exposing the primin with consequent danger of fire and of ren ering the complementary igniting means inoperative through any cause. I

On account of. the dan er from fire and explosion, when the. ingre ients comprising the priming 8' and thepriming 14 respectively are handled in the same-budding, it is common at the present time, 1n well regulated factories, to have the primln 14 aplied to the cover in a separate uilding rom that inwhich the torches are assem-. bled. The covers are then carried into the torch building with the priming 14 thereon uncovered, and the covers are secured to the torch body, and the priming 14 protected,- by the application thereto .at one and the of assembling the torches and covers as out-.

lined is, however, one of considerable danger, as the operative sometimes accidentally strikes the'unprotected priming 14 against the priming head 11, thereby causing a fire or explosion or both. The assembling of my improved torch and cover is, however, free from the danger aforesaid. By the application to the cover of the sub- .stantial cap 15, and securing of the same by the wrapper 17 to-said cover, the priming 14 is fully protected by said wrapper and cap when the cover is carried into the torch building for the final assembling Thus all danger from accidental, premature contact of said priming 14 and head 11 isremoved.

In Fi 9 I have shown a modified form of core or the priming means comprising a preferably wooden peg 19, rovided with an anchorin nipple 20 at t e upper end thereof to w ich the priming head 11 ad-' heres more or less tenaciously and thus obviates to some extent the danger of the head 11- chipping off, as has been described, without igniting the priming 8.

The improved torch described possesses s'everal,advantages which have been'briefly referred to, already viz: the im roved form of priming wherein the thinfilim of priming of greater area provides a more certain means of igniting the torch, and lessens the danger of its blowing itself from the torch before such ignition; the more secure anchoring means for the priming head furnished by the flexible core ends; and the additional protection during manufacture and subsequent handling and shipping provided for the igniting means on the cover by the substantial cyhndrical cap therefor. This form of cap also provi es a practicable means of exposing the igniting means without1 the use of the tape with its unsecured en I have shown herein a convenientembodiment of my invention but doubtless modifications thereof may be constru'cted'without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims.

1. A torch or fusee comprising a body having inflammable material and end priming, a cover overlying said priming and secured to the body end and having complementary i niting means, an elongated, disk-like, han e-cap, the peripheral portion of the inner end of which rests substantially flatwise against the igniting end of the cover, and readily severable sealing means circumferentially wrapped about the cover and handle-cap and fixedly holding the lat ter against separation from the cover by lon 'tudinal pull, said handle-cap being rea ily separable from the cover by a lateral blow or leverage severing said sealing means.

2. A torch comprising a body provided with inflammable material, a prlmer therefor inserted in one end of said torch, and comprising a flexible U-shaped priminganchoring core embedded in said inflammable material 

